Brooklyn Booth gained skills in a busy retail setting while gaining practical experience in visual merchandising and seasonal floor sets.
How did you get your internship?
I applied directly to my local Bath & Body Works store and stated my intention to gain visual and merchandising experience, which then led to the start of my internship there in May 2025. I worked as a customer service and visual merchandising intern. I helped to construct visual merchandising displays, creating seasonal displays, and adding new products. In order to have effortless changes between collections and maintain brand standards. I gained real-world experience in customer service, sales, and retail merchandising from this experience.
Why did you choose this internship?
I chose this internship because I’ve always been interested in visual merchandising and visual communication, and I knew it would help me gain useful skills for my future career. Learning how to create and set up visually inviting product displays and seeing it all come to life made me enjoy this internship even more. Creating seasonal floor sets, switching the store between collections, and making sure every display kept to the brand's standards were my top goals during my internship. Also, I learned how to balance the features and aesthetics, plan layouts, and make the most of store props.
How was the internship related to your Applied Humanities Degree?
My internship is related to my Applied Humanities because my emphasis area is Fashion Studies and I gained transferable skills in creating aesthetics aligned with branding. I worked on seasonal floor sets and visual merchandising, allowing me to use creativity in a structural way to ensure all items flowed together in an appealing way. Also, we used teamwork to make our visions come to life, which took patience and dedication. The camaraderie we built spending long hours with one another and creating bonds helped us brainstorm better together.
What did you find the most challenging about your internship?
Managing multiple tasks at once was the most challenging part of my internship, especially during busy times like seasonal floor sets. Keeping displays and taking care of other responsibilities while providing customer service was at times challenging. This challenge, though, has taught me how to properly handle my time, prioritize my tasks, and maintain organization under pressure. Also, it helped me in boosting my multitasking and problem-solving abilities, which will help me in future careers.
What is the impact of your internship experience?
This internship had a big impact on my personal and professional growth. My understanding of how design impacts buying habits and the overall shopping experience has gotten better as a result of the experience. All things considered, this internship has provided me with useful information and skills for a future in fashion and design.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for and/or begin their internship?
My advice to future students taking this course and starting an internship would be to be open to any opportunity that comes their way. Start networking with everyone you know: family, people you have a class with, or friends. The more people you know and network with, the more opportunities you are going to gain. Lastly, stay organized and don’t be afraid to ask for help!